Reclosable and stackable food trays constructed from a cut, scored and folded blank are convenient for storing and transporting prepared food, for example, take-out from a restaurant or other prepared food service, such as but not limited to a self-service prepared food store. One example of such food trays are trays that are fully assembled and nested together at the point of sale of the food, with the end user filling the receptacle of the tray with food and closing the tray for transfer. In an effort to prevent leaking, some prior art containers require gluing flaps in such a way that the container is not reclosable. Still yet other reclosable cartons constructed from cut and scored blanks having substantially leak proof constructions require that adhesive be deposited on the interior of the carton between adjacent panels that form each corner of the carton. It is undesirable to have adhesive on the interior of the carton in close proximity to the stored food, especially given the fact that when exposed to high temperature the adhesive may soften and contaminate the food within the carton.
Other reclosable cartons constructed from a single cut and scored blank disclose a reclosable food tray comprising two pairs of opposing side panels which are hingedly connected to aid in sealing liquid within the fully constructed food tray. Under certain loading conditions or external forces trays of this type may experience dimensional distortion and the sides of the tray may slide under the top of the tray, allowing the contents to leak and weakening the sides of the tray. In an effort to minimize this dimensional distortion of the tray and weakening of the sides, some trays glue extra pieces of paperboard or “slices” of material to the sides of the tray to increase support on the sides of the tray. This solution requires additional cutting and gluing and cannot be completed on standard folding and gluing machinery.